 The St. Lucia Social Development Fund via the Basic Nations Trust Fund has again helped transform the learning landscape of staff and students this time of the L'Aquamengo preschool with the retrofitting of a pre-K classroom. Funded by the Caribbean Development Bank with an investment of EC$270,000, the refurbished facility was officially handed over to the community in a ceremony on February 15, 2024. Relying the celebrative spirit of this initiative, Honourable Joachim Henry, Minister for Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, emphasised the importance of inclusive community parenting programmes involving men to 45 projects like the L'Aquamengo pre-K class retrofitting. It was mentioned that such projects should come with a parenting programme, and I support this so, you know, I listen and I share with the Executive Director, we must do this, we must consider and sustain it. And a parenting programme is so critical. But when we speak of parents, so often we believe we are speaking about our sisters, our queens, our females. And as I paid attention to the poetry by the boys and the little girls, we must always communicate to our young men when we speak of parents, when we are speaking about men too. And that we must respond to what is happening in our society today. We see what is happening to the young men. We see what is happening in the lives of our children with fathers not being present. The facility under when comprehensive upgrades including electrical maintenance, painting, plumbing enhancement and the expansion of classrooms to incorporate improved toilet facilities. While emphasizing gratitude, Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Hon. Sean Edward stated that in recognizing the significance of early education, the ministry has adjusted its approach towards early childhood creative environment facilities. Thank you very much to all the agencies that have collaborated, the staff of the SSDF in particular. I think this is an agency that does not get, this is one agency that does not get the applause and the praise that it deserves. Because on a daily basis, we see the interventions that you make in the lives of people who ordinarily cannot fend for themselves. We've come to understand in very recent times the importance of children having an early induction into the school system. And for early childhood, we do not want to saddle our children with too much content that we cut short the objective development of those children. But instead to provide them with facilities and spaces that would stimulate their growth across dimensions. Parliamentary representative for Cassry South, Hon. Dr. Ernest Hilaire, emphasized the critical importance of a well-equipped classroom with optimal learning conditions right from an early age. Research has shown that if you get started on the right footing, the end of the journey is more assured. So let us start getting it right from the beginning. Let us start doing the right things and having a properly equipped classroom with all the tools and the conditions that are conducive for learning will certainly set off our students, our children, on the right footing and better prepare them to face the challenges. As a unified force, the SSDF and agency of the Ministry of Equity eliminates duplication of effect and combines available resources to help alleviate poverty and vulnerability among the most marginalized individuals in society. From the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, Jevroy Marius.